X Mangave plant named ‘Bad Hair Day’

ABSTRACT

A new and unique X  Mangave  plant named ‘Bad Hair Day’ characterized by numerous, long, narrow, horizontal leaves with irregular, dark-burgundy spotting covering large portions of leaves when grown in high ultraviolet light exposure. Leaf margin has minimal marginal spines and apical spines are flexible teeth. Growth rate is moderate. ‘Bad Hair Day’ is suitable for the garden or as a potted plant in the garden or home.

Botanical classification: X Mangave hybrid; Manfreda times Agave.

Variety denomination: ‘Bad Hair Day’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct X Mangave hybridplant, X Mangave ‘Bad Hair Day’ hybridized by the inventor at awholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA as cross between anunnamed proprietary selection of Manfreda maculosa (not patented) as thefemale or seed parent times an unnamed proprietary selection of Agavegeminiflora (not patented) as the male or pollen parent. The cross wasperformed Mar. 14, 2011 and seeds were later harvested and sown on Aug.8, 2011. Through trials at the same nursery the plant was assigned thebreeder code XMANG-11-01-08. The new plant has been successfullyasexually propagated initially by sterile shoot-tip tissue culture atthe same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. For those skilled in the art thismethod of asexual propagation system has been found to produce stableand identical plants that maintain all the unique characteristics of theoriginal plant.

No plants of X Mangave ‘Bad Hair Day’ have been sold, under this or anyname, in this country or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing ofthis application, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been madeprior to the filing of this application with the exception of that whichwas disclosed or sold within one year of the filing of this application,and was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

X Mangave ‘Bad Hair Day’ differs from its parents as well as all otherManfreda, Agave and X Mangave known to the applicant. The most similarknown cultivar is X Mangave ‘Man of Steel’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,196.Compared with the male parent, the new plant has slightly broader andthinner leaves with flatter habit. The female parent has broader moreconcavo-convex leaves with more outright to horizontal habit and theleaf color is chartreuse with larger burgundy spotting than the newplant, the leaf margins are filiferous and more fibrous. ‘Man of Steel’has a more glaucous silvery-green leaves with less burgundy spotting andmore outright leaf attitude.

‘Bad Hair Day’ is unique from all of the above cultivars and all Agave,X Mangave and Manfreda known to the inventor by the following combinedtraits:

-   -   1. Numerous, long, narrow, gracefully arching foliage;    -   2. Foliage develops irregular, dark-burgundy spotting especially        in high ultraviolet light exposure;    -   3. Leaf margins have minimal marginal spines and terminal spines        are flexible through drying;    -   4. Moderate growth rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of x Mangave ‘Bad Hair Day’ demonstrate the overallappearance of the new plant including the unique traits as afive-year-old plant initially grown in a container in a greenhouse inZeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. Thecolors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions.Ambient light spectrum, temperature, source and direction may cause theappearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the foliage of the new plant with heavyburgundy spotting and greyed-purple blush on the older foliage andlighter green emerging foliage.

FIG. 2 shows the habit of the new plant grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, X Mangave ‘Bad HairDay’, has not been observed under all possible environments. Thephenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions,such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, butwithout any change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of a five-year old plant in a commercial wholesalegreenhouse in Zeeland, Mich. and also with a season of outdoor growthreceiving supplemental water and fertilizer as needed.

-   Parentage: An unnamed proprietary selection of Manfreda maculosa    (not patented) as the female or seed parent; an unnamed propriety    selection of Agave geminiflora (not patented) as the male or pollen    parent;-   Propagation: Division of side shoots and sterile shoot-tip tissue    culture;-   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About three weeks;-   Growth rate: Moderate;-   Crop time: About 16 to 20 weeks to finish in a 3.8 liter container    from a 35 mm tissue culture growing at about 21° C.;-   Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots up to 20 cm    long;-   Root color: Nearest RHS 158C;-   Plant shape and habit: Succulent herbaceous perennial with basal    rosettes of about 320 leaves per plant, radially emerging from    central rhizome extending below the base of the plant and drooping    in maturity when grown in containers, producing a    radially-symmetrical, rounded mound;-   Plant size: Foliage height about 10.0 cm tall from soil line to the    top of emerging leaves and about 30.0 cm wide at the widest point    slightly below soil line in container and drooping to about 20.0 cm    below soil line when grown in elevated containers;-   Foliage description: Gladiate to linear; simple; margins finely    dentate; apex narrowly acute; base truncate, sessile, clasping;    flattened; bi-laterally symmetrical; with dense, irregular, burgundy    spotting from 0.5 mm to about 3.0 mm across, more pronounced on    adaxial surface; glaucous both surfaces;-   Leaf size: To about 29.0 cm long, about 9.0 cm wide at base and    about 2.0 mm thick; average about 27.0 cm long, about 8.0 cm wide    and about 2.0 mm thick;-   Foliage fragrance: None observed;-   Leaf blade color:    -   -   Adaxial (mature).—In low ultraviolet light between RHS 139B            and RHS 138B with spots nearest RHS 138A; in high            ultraviolet light exposure nearest RHS 146D with blush of            nearest RHS N186C and spots of a blend between RHS N186C and            RHS N187A becoming more dense and numerous with greater            ultraviolet light exposure; Abaxial (mature): in low            ultraviolet light exposure blend between RHS 138A and RHS            138B with spots about 1.0 to 2.0 mm across of blend between            RHS 139A and RHS 139B; in high ultraviolet light exposure            nearest RHS 138B with spots becoming blushed with a blend            nearest RHS N186C and RHS N187C.        -   Adaxial (young).—Nearest RHS 138C maculate with nearest RHS            138B.        -   Abaxial (young).—Nearest RHS 138C and blotched with between            RHS 138B and RHS 138A.        -   Teeth (marginal).—Small, about 0.5 mm long and about 4.0 mm            apart; color nearest RHS 176B.-   Apical spine: Flexible, frequently drying in older leaves, about 4.0    mm long; color nearest RHS 177B;-   Petiole: Sessile;-   Veins: Parallel; not distinct abaxial or adaxial;-   Flower description: Not yet observed;-   Fruit and seed: Not yet observed;-   Disease resistance: X Mangave ‘Bad Hair Day’ has not been observed    to be resistant to diseases beyond that which is normal for X    Mangave, Agave or Manfreda. The plant is xeromorphic and survives    well with minimal water once established. The new plant is hardy at    least from USDA zone 7b to 10. Full extent of winter hardiness has    not been tested.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental X Mangaveplant named ‘Bad Hair Day’ as herein described and illustrated.